Study summary
Repellent activity of essential oils to the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum
Le Mauff A, Norris EJ, Li AY, Swale DR
- Study type
- Lab
- Year
- 2024
- Published in
- Parasites & Vectors 17:202
- Evidence strength
- Limited evidence
Summary
Compares the same botanical oils across three assays (contact filter-paper, spatial glass-tube, and in-vivo fingertip skin) against lone star tick nymphs, exposing how poorly lab bioassays predict skin protection.
Key findings
Clove and geranium oils gave ~90% repellency in the contact filter-paper assay, but neither was significantly repellent in the fingertip (skin) assay (only patchouli was). Contact and skin results were negatively correlated, so high climbing-assay percentages do not translate to real on-skin bite protection.
Limitations
Lone star tick nymphs only; short observation windows; no full skin CPT time-course. Its value is the direct demonstration that contact bioassays overstate skin protection.